We say women have made great strides: in biology, in many areas

"We say women have made great strides: in biology, in many areas of chemistry, in many places, women are now the majority of medical students. But when I began my career, that wasn't the case. There were very strong stereotypes in biology and medicine." — Carol S. Dweck

Hear the voice of Carol S. Dweck, a scholar of the human spirit and the mind’s limitless potential. In these words, she speaks not merely of science or gender, but of change across generations — of a world that has grown through struggle, and of barriers that were broken not by chance, but by courage. When she says, “Women have made great strides,” she honors the long march of progress, where doors once closed to half of humanity have at last been opened. Yet her reflection also bears a solemn remembrance — that such doors were once barred by stereotypes and prejudice, walls built not of stone, but of belief.

For the origin of this wisdom lies not in abstraction, but in Dweck’s own journey through the halls of academia. When she began her career in the mid-twentieth century, the sciences — biology, medicine, and chemistry — were guarded by the assumption that reason and discovery belonged to men. Women who sought entry into these fields were told they lacked the temperament, the intellect, or the stamina to succeed. Many were dismissed before they could begin, and those who persisted walked a lonely road. Dweck herself faced such shadows, yet she endured — studying not only the mind’s structure but its growth, teaching the world that ability is not fixed, and that even the most entrenched barriers can be overcome through learning, persistence, and belief.

Her words remind us that progress is neither effortless nor inevitable. The “great strides” she celebrates were purchased by generations of women who refused to bow to limitation. Consider the story of Rosalind Franklin, whose X-ray images revealed the very structure of DNA — the spiral staircase of life itself. Yet in her time, her genius was overlooked, her name omitted from the prize her work made possible. She was one of many — a pioneer unseen, a mind ahead of its moment. It was women like Franklin who laid the hidden foundations that later generations would build upon. Dweck’s reflection honors these forgotten voices, whose perseverance forged the path for others to walk freely.

When she speaks of “strong stereotypes in biology and medicine,” she warns of the power of belief — not only in shaping societies, but in shaping the minds within them. For the greatest chains are not those upon the body, but those upon the imagination. A woman told from childhood that her mind is unsuited for science may never test its strength; a man raised to think genius wears only his face may never learn the humility of shared discovery. Thus, Dweck’s insight — born from her own research on mindset — reveals the ancient truth that our potential is bounded only by the stories we accept. To challenge stereotype is to reclaim the freedom to grow.

Yet in her words there is not only critique, but hope. She sees a world transformed — where women now fill the laboratories, lecture halls, and hospitals once closed to them. In many places, they stand as the majority of medical students, no longer exceptions but leaders. This victory, however, is not the end but the beginning. For equality in number must be matched by equality in voice, in leadership, in recognition. The struggle now moves from presence to power — to ensuring that the insights, discoveries, and contributions of women are valued as essential threads in the fabric of human knowledge.

The lesson she imparts is timeless: belief shapes destiny. Just as individuals must adopt a growth mindset to transcend self-imposed limits, societies must adopt the same to overcome inherited prejudice. If the world once believed women unfit for science and was proven wrong, what other truths might we still be blind to? The wise must therefore question every assumption that confines potential — whether about gender, class, race, or any human boundary. For to deny someone the right to strive is to rob humanity of its own brilliance.

So, O seekers of wisdom and builders of the future, take this teaching to heart: the struggle for equality is not a chapter of history, but a task of every generation. Let no stereotype go unchallenged, and no door remain closed to honest effort. Encourage the young — daughters and sons alike — to explore, to question, to learn without fear. For as Dweck reminds us, greatness is not the privilege of a few, but the birthright of all who dare to grow. And just as she once rose against the quiet barriers of her time, so must we rise against ours — until the day when no one must say “women have made great strides”, because the world will finally walk stride for stride together.